Process for treating gas containing fluid



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. J. SOCHOR PROCESS FOR TREATING GAS CONTAINING FLUIDDec. 23, 1958 Filed April 8 0 .SD ofuawuw Sama? #www PROCESS FORTREATING GAS CONTAINING FLUID Filed April 8, 1955 J. J. SOCHOR Dec. 23,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .Jai-IN Soci-Kal ATTGQHEYS Y2,865,470 lPRocEss Fon TREATINGGAS CoNTAINlNG FLUID John. J. Sochor, The Hague,Netherlands Application April 8, 1955, Serial No. 500,185 1 Claim. (Cl.183-1145) This invention relates to a processfor-treating gas containingfluid under pressure above atmospheric pressure.

Anv object of the present invention is to provide a process for treatinggas containing fluid under pressure above atmospheric pressure in whichthe gas and liquid constituents thereof are sharply separated into gasand liquid fractions respectively as the pressure is reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process fortreating gas containing uid under pressure above atmospheric pressure inwhich such fluid is separated into gas and liquid fractions with theliquid fraction containing most of the low boiling constituent and thegas fraction having a small amount of the latter named constituentassociated therewith.

A further object of the present invention is to provide -a process fortreating gas containing fluid under pressure above atmospheric pressurewhich is positive in action, simple in execution, commerciallypractical, and

, more efficient than previously proposed processes.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus ernployed in carryingout the process of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the pressure reducingunits of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line .4t-e4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the unit of Figure 2illustrating the zone division and the separated ifractions in suchdivisions.

ln carrying out the process of this invention, the substance to' betreated may be any gas containing uid under pressure aboveatmosphericpressure, for example, a condensate or iluid under pressureabove atmospheric pressure having either natural or artificial gasassociated with or dissolved in the condensate or fluid, or crudepetroleum oil it Ais received at the ground level from the well. In theShowing of Figure 1, the gas Containing fluid under pressure aboveatmospheric pressure is crude Petroleum oil, such oil as it is receivedat the ground level `from .the well 11 being caused to 110W through aconduit 12 into a pressure reducing unit 13 in which. `the owing oil isseparated into a liquid fraction and a gas fraction.. The separated gasand liquid fractions are discharged from the pressure reducing unit 13into a con duit 1.4, and are conveyed by the conduit 14 into a connedeollection space or closed shell 1S. The gas frac tion is withdrawn fromthe shell 15 through the pipe 16 connected in communication with the topof the shell, the pipe 16 being provided with a valve 17 for controllingthe discharge of the gas fraction therefrom. The liquid fraction iswithdrawn from the shell 15 ietaiea Dec. .23, 41.95:?.

which afurthergas fractionv is separated from the liquid fraction. Theconduit 1,8 isprovided with a valver 2'3 -for controlling; therein theow of the: liquid fraction.

The liquid fraction containing` the further ,gas Ifraction is dischargedfrom they pressure reducing unit19` into a second confined collectionAspace or storage `receptacle 20 through vak pipe 24. The gas fractionYis withdrawn from the receptacle 20 through the pipe 21 connected incommunication with. the top of the receptacle 20, and the liquidfraction isy withdrawn from the receptacle 20 through the pipe 22.

The unitj13,- Figures 2, 3- and 4, comprises a` tubeZS whichhasone ofitsvr endsy provided with arange 26. The adjacentend ofthe conduit.k 12is likewise providedfwith a .complementalz ilange V27 `which isconnected in tight sealing engagement Vwithv the lflange 26 by means of`a gasket 2,57' and bolt andnut assemblies 27'.-y The other end of thetube 25` is provided withatange 32 which ris connectedY inv tightIsealing engagement ,tol a flange 33 on the adjacent end of the conduit14 by means of a gasket 31 and bolt and nut assemblies 34. Positionedwithin and xedly secured to the tube 25 is a helix 28, the portion ofthe helix adjacent the flange 26 being of the double type 29 and theremaining portion being of the single type 30. It is to be noted thatthe peripheries of the respective convolutions of the helix 28 contactthe inner wall of the tube 25. The oil entering through the conduit 12flows around the convolutions of the double type helix 29 and thencearound the convolutions of the single type helix 30. As the oil flowsfrom the conduit 12 into the tube 25 this causes the oil to flow in aconned spiral path and as it flows through such path it is subdividedsuccessively into temporary confined zones, the zones being formed byadjacent convolutions of the helix 28. The conned zones are in turnsubjected to both centrifugal force and progressively decreasingpressures between the initial pressure of the crude oil and atmosphericpressure to separate the oil into a liquid fraction and a gas fraction,the centrifugal force being caused by the rotation of the helix and thedecreased pressures being caused by the formation of the temporaryconned zones. The separation of the oil in adjacent zones into liquidand gas fractions is graphically illl1s trated in Figure 5, and showsthat in such separation there is a foam between the liquid fraction andthe gas fraction.

The unit 19 is of the same structure as thatof unit 13, and in this unit19 the liquid fraction. flowing from the conduit 18 is also treated inthe same manner as described in connection with the unit 13, namely,caused to flow in a further spiral path, caused while flowing throughthe further spiral path to be subdivided successively into temporaryconfined zones, the zones subjecteci in turn to both centrifugal forceand progressively degreasing pressures between the initial pressure ofthe liquid fraction and atmospheric pressure to separate a further gasfraction therefrom.

The oil as it is received at the ground surface from the Well 11 may beof a pressure of from atmospheric to several thousand pounds Per squareinch and would normally be flowed to the pressure reducing vunit 13 at apressure less than and not exceeding 600 pounds per square inch. In thereducing unit 13 the pressure of the uid or oil is progressively droppedin the temporary confined zones to an intermediate pressure of, forexample, 300 pounds per square inch, depending on the initial pressureof the fluid or oil entering the unit 13, the fluid gas-liquid ratio,and the prevailing marketing conditions for the resultant gas. At thispressure of 300 pounds per y"and: the liquid-fraction Containing gasfraction being discharged-'at vornvear Yatmospheric pressure into .thesecond collection spaceor receptacle 20.

the separated further By the process of this invention above described,the separated liquid fraction contains most of the lowboiling fliquidconstituents `such as thebutane-hexane containing constituentl withonly'a small amount of the latter named constituent associatedtherewith.

Having thus described the invention what is new and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is: Y

Ina process for separating the liquidI and gaseous constituents' of ahigh pressure petroleum well stream, the steps of, owing the entire wellstream from a well through a conductor at high velocity, causing thewell stream to undergo a continuous progressive pressure drop at asubstantially uniform rate by owing the entire well stream from theconductor into a helical path without any appreciable reduction invelocity, then flowing the well stream from the helical path into aconventional oil and gas separator while reducing the pressure upon thewell stream,` withdrawing separated gas from the sepainch, the`separated liquid and gas fractions are rator, causing the entireremaining well stream to'undergo a further continuous and progressivepressure drop at `a substantially uniform rate by owing the entireremaining well stream from the separator in a second helical path athigh velocity, both said paths being elongate and generally rectilinearand of much greater length than diameter, the paths being ofsubstantially constant diameter whereby the well streams are caused toow therethrough at substantially constant high velocities, subsequentlydischarging the well stream into a second oil and gas separator at nearatmospheric pressure, and withdrawing separated gas and liquid from thesecond separator.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,471,088 Ballard Oct. 16, 1923 1,523,773 n Harris Ian. 20, 19251,539,968 Tabler June 2, 1925 1,970,077 Collins Aug.. 14, 1934 1,994,110H Pittman Mar. 12, 1935 2,107,625 Bettis Feb. 8, 1938 2,186,344V PriceJan. 9, 1940 2,281,065 Loumiet et Lavigne Apr. 28, 1942 2,659,450 BairdNov. 17, 1953

